DBZ: Awakening the Saiyan Within
by FFFFFreak
Summary: This is a story of how Pan, the granddaughter of Son Goku, unlocked her Saiyan heritage as she and her friends face off against a mysterious overlord seeking to gather the last remnants of the Saiyan Race to create a being surpassing that of a Super Saiyan God. Set five years after the end of DBZ manga and a different take of DBGT.
1. Chapter 1: Earth's New Heroes

**A/N: I'll be making some changes from the original story I uploaded here. For those with enough patience to read and watch for this sorry piece of a story, I apologize for the revamp. I decided to add some details after making some major changes. Otherwise, the plot remains the same. Aliens come to earth to cause trouble and our heroes stand up to fight.**

 **I've been trying to incorporate the elements from DBS we have now, but as the main (dare I say canon) story progresses on, this would eventually turn into an AU as most fanfics are destined to be :)**

Characters belong to Toriyama-san and TOEI of course. Please watch DB Kai and Super!

 **CHAPTER 1: Meet Son Pan and Uub: Earth's new Heroes**

Pan has long lost tabs on who keeps winning between her and Uub, may it be light spars or tournament battles or just for some strange test her grandfather concocted during their training as his students. Honestly, throughout the years, she just didn't care anymore. Her grandfather would always say it doesn't matter and she sees no reason not to believe in him.

This time, they are certainly equal in throwing punches and kicks at each other. Both are flying high up in the afternoon sky, over an isolated part of the world. Piccolo stands on a considerable distance away from them, his white cape billowing slightly against the wind. Between blows, Pan throws a cheeky grin at him but her Namekian master's face is stoic as ever.

"Pan, focus!" he growled out. As he did so, Uub's fist connected on her cheek. Pan spit out some blood before turning her glare towards Piccolo.

"Hey, what's the big idea shouting at us like that?"

"You clearly are treating this as a game." Uub, who had seen his fair share of scary-looking enemies in his six years of fighting since Goku plucked him out of his village, still flinched at the intensity of the Namekian's glare.

"If you continue to act like a child during training, it's better for you to go home so I can give a proper training to Uub instead of wasting our time."

"Fine!" Pan retorted, and even Piccolo was slightly surprised at how easily she gave in. "I might as well. Besides, I wouldn't get any stronger without Gramps here."

"Pan, we can always go all-out?" Uub flashed her a hesitant smile, brown eyes pleading. He almost looked like grandpa with that look. Pan learned at an early age how looks can be deceiving. Even what seemed to be the weakest and the most innocent face could hide incredible power. With his round, brown eyes and little nose, has a face that could tame a grown mountain lion and people tend to underestimate him for that.

That was also her case when she started out her first year as a student under her grandfather. It was also the same year Uub was taken in. A brown-skinned, thin young boy who came from a remote part of the world doesn't look like a strong warrior, but she quickly saw how quick he is to match up with her grandfather's moves, how he can easily produce a Ki blast enough to create a gaping crater the size of a Budokai stadium with just a flick of his wrist. Of course, he used his charm for that advantage and until now, Pan has mixed feelings about. In fact, if she might have been a little honest about it, she feels a little jealous. It also didn't help that he and her grandfather seemed to have more fun together because of their nearly similar laid-back personality.

And now his face has got to remind her of her gramps. Immediately, her expression softened and she turned to Piccolo. "Sorry about that, Uncle _Pikkoyo_. I guess, I just miss Gramps. He's been gone for months now and I just can't wait to show him my new moves."

Piccolo accepted her apologies with a grunt. As a child, Pan had always been an impulsive girl, unafraid to speak her mind. And that temper. It whips into the air and simmers completely by the next second. In his experience, females are always the strangest creatures, shifting from one mood to the next, but he felt a female Saiyan such as Pan poses more danger than anyone he ever knew, and that includes the reincarnated Majin Buu hovering in front of him.

"It's your duty to train to be stronger, Pan. It shouldn't change, with or without Goku here. You promised him, remember?"

Pan bit her lip, remembering that moment when her grandfather left Earth to a distant quadrant of the Universe to fight and train the strongest warriors each planet can offer. Pan and Uub, being his first students, were initially set to go with him but upon Pan's parents refused to let her go on the grounds that Pan is far too young to get to travel into space (despite how Pan brought the case when her father Gohan traveled to Namek when he was just 8 years old) With her mother due to give birth for her baby brother anytime, Pan just couldn't defy her this time. In the end, her grandfather has no choice but to leave her behind. In the spirit of fairness, he also let Uub stay with her. Pan couldn't imagine what it would be like if Uub gets to travel with her grandfather, getting stronger everyday, fighting more challenging opponents along the way, solving quests and saving the planet in the process.

"I know. Still, do you have any idea when he's going to come back?"

"You know your grandfather." Piccolo replied. "When or how, it doesn't matter. We know he's going to come back."

"That's what Dad always say." Pan huffed.

"The stronger you become, the faster you can show them you're strong enough to take care of yourself" Piccolo sternly eyed his student whose face is a mix of her parents. At ten years old, Pan is clearly growing into a young woman Videl had been like when she entered her last Budokai Tournament as a teenager. Her coal-black hair is lush, tied into heavy braids tucked behind her ears but not long enough to get in the way of her fighting. Her sharp features are candid and responsive of whatever she is feeling. But her black eyes are definitely her father's. They shine brightly with emotion, just as Gohan's had been, in and out of the battlefield. Piccolo also suspected from some of Pan's moves that she also inherited her father's certain lack of depth perception.

"I can get stronger with Grandpa, can't they understand that?"

"You do remember that your grandfather actually trained you to become Earth's mighty protectors in his place, right?" Piccolo replied, sighing. "What he left you for you and Uub is a responsibility to protect it while he's gone. This might very well be one of his tests."

"I do think Pan is ready, Mr. Piccolo" Uub calmly interjected, his voice surprising both Pan and Piccolo to speechlessness. He shrugged, puzzled over their reaction. "What? She trained with all the greatest martial artists here on Earth. We're clearly toe-in-toe in battle and she hasn't even transformed into a Super Saiyan yet."

Pan stared at her rival and bestfriend. In their spars and training drills, Uub repeatedly assured her that she's strong enough to keep up with her grandfather's adventures in space but this is the first time Uub declared what he believed to someone else. To Mr. Piccolo, no less.

"If you can just give us a chance to test our skills." Uub continued, unperturbed by their expressions. "Pan and I can deliver. Master Goku has taught us everything we know. How can we become Earth's heroes if we don't have any idea on what we're up against?"

"So what do you propose to do?" Piccolo asked, voice hard. "Go off to space and look for your grandfather? I highly doubt Capsule Corp will give you the keys for one of their ships."

"As if Mom would let me." Pan replied, rolling her eyes. "Grams hasn't been feeling well lately and I don't want to add any more stress to both her and Mom," Pan looked eagerly at Piccolo. "Mr. Piccolo, Uub and I have been thinking. I think we're ready to compete in the next Universal Tournament."

The Universal Tournament is a tradition that dates back when Pan was a baby. Her grandfather was one of the chosen fighters of the God of Destruction against the champions of Universe 6. Ever since, they decided to have the Tournament every five years for a friendly match with their Universal counterparts. Pan herself had already attended two Tournaments in her lifetime as a spectator, but this time around, she's determined to be one of the fighters.

Piccolo regarded them, eyes unreadable. "You think you can stand a chance with the mightiest warriors of Universe 6? You must be out of your mind." He shook his head. "Your grandfather has taught you a lot about fighting fair and with honor but you can never expect that from the opponents you'll be facing from Universe 6. Your chances of victory will not rely on your strength alone."

"Yeah but-"

"I understand, Pan. You like fighting strong opponents just like your grandfather does but becoming a strong warrior takes time. It's a process." A small smile crossed his thin mouth. "When I took your father under my wing, I was confident he would beat the Saiyans with his incredible potential. Yet, he was only able to show his real strength several years after I trained him. Your own time will come, I'm sure of it."

Pan remained unconvinced, her smooth brow furrowed in thought. "I know the whole story already. Before that, dad went to space to look for the Dragon Balls, which we are never allowed to do. Then he trained with grandpa at the Hyperbolic Time Chamber for days, which we are not allowed to do. If we're not going to do something to challenge our current strength, we're going to be stuck in our current level and we would be terrible at our job in protecting the Earth."

"Your father has no choice but to step up and unleash his power." Piccolo said, looking ahead as he recalled the time from long ago when his ward has to watch his dear father sacrifice himself in an effort to kill Cell. "Do you still remember what your Goku always tell you about becoming a Super Saiyan?"

Pan's lips pursed stubbornly. "It sparks from a need, not a desire." She recited, remembering her grandfather's carefree voice when he relayed it to her, his smile shining like a sun.

"We wouldn't know when that need will arrive, Pan. Your grandfather, us, your family, we've always tried to maintain peace and protect you and the others from harm. But when that need comes," Piccolo smiled at her, eyes softening a little. "I'm sure you and Uub are going to be more than prepared for it."

A need, not a desire. That's what they've been telling her alright. For Pan, the concept of a 'need' is hard to grasp. Being born and raised during peaceful times, she couldn't imagine a world plunged into chaos and destruction with her grandfather and his friends around. Just like Marron would always say, "No one would dare destroy the Earth when the God of Destruction himself is fond of its food!"

So naturally, Pan had thought of going to space and find adventures there just as her dad had did. As far as she knew, Uncle Vegeta made his transformation in space. And it wasn't exactly sparked by need.

She had been flying for miles now, darting through the clouds with the sun on her back. She likes the sense of freedom flying brought her, and one of her favorite pasttimes is flying around the world. Having to do it undetected takes an extra challenge.

Pan had been a little more than four years old when she was introduced to martial arts. Her father thought she was too young, but Uncle Piccolo seemed eager to start her training early. For one, her grandmother heatedly opposed it and she can be the scariest person on earth, even more frightening than Lord Beerus, if she wanted to be. Good thing her grandfather managed to convince her by saying Pan wouldn't grow up to be exactly like him - she may turn out to be like Gohan who is clearly focused on his studies, or Goten who isn't that crazy about training anymore and seemed to be more interested in tinkering with old bikes.

But fighting had come easy for her. She developed a quick eye to learn other peoples' techniques just by watching them once. Her grandfather saw that, and one day, when she was just six years old, he teleported her to the Kame House. There, Pan witnessed how a single powerful blast of Ki divided the ocean in two. Her grandfather's signature move from the Turtle School.

"If you train hard enough, you'll be blasting Kame Hame Ha before you know it." Her grandfather laughed heartily. "Looks like you'll be forcing me into retirement."

Fast forward four years later, she already learned by heart and mind the signature techniques of the world's most powerful fighters. Being the granddaughter of the world's "strongest" man certainly got her the leverage to learn from the best martial arts school in the planet. Not one of them could top her grandfather and his friends however. The real struggle is learning how to look ordinary around human fighters and making sure her grandfather Hercule doesn't suffer another heart attack when she demonstrates a little bit of her real power.

"Pan! Hey Pan!"

Pan turned around to see her uncle speeding towards her on his newly-constructed sky-glider - a machine he constructed straight out of the garage. It resembled a two-wheeled motor vehicle, but it obviously holds more power and speed than any other ordinary vehicles. For one thing, the machine is intricately created to harness its rider's energy, who is no other than Goten himself. Of course, flying still beats the vehicle by a long mile but Pan knows her uncle enough that for him, "flying cool" is more important than flying fast.

"Training done already?" His jet-black thick hair hardly changes against the whipping of the wind. Pan had always felt jealous of that. She has to trim her hair every now and then to keep it away from her face while fighting.

"Uh-huh. Uub stayed behind with Mr. Piccolo, though. But he promised to catch up."

"He better be, or you'll drag him to the picnic yourself."

"Just like I did to you last year?" Pan reminded with a grin.

"Just like what you did to me last year." Goten repeated good-naturedly. "Why d'you have to remind me? I was with a girl that time and she still couldn't get over the fact that I was dragged in the ear by my 11-year-old niece."

"You could have gone Super." Pan quickly pointed out.

"And scare her away? No way!"

Pan rolled her eyes. "I swear, do you still remember how to transform?"

His uncle chuckled in response. "Well there hasn't been any situation I feel the need to." He looked at Pan fondly. "I got to say, you're really serious on getting strong, huh? I wasn't nearly as motivated as you are back in the day. It took a scary pinkish blob named Buu for Trunks and I to get serious."

"Serious, really? Uncle Piccolo said he nearly popped a vein to get you guys do some serious butt-kicking and When you finally do, Buu absorbs you both."

Goten just laughed sheepishly, his laughter drowned out by the roar of the engine. If their hearing wasn't as good, they'd hardly have a decent conversation with all the racket! "So, he told you about the fusion thing, huh?"

Pan pouted her lips and looked at her uncle with a deepening frown. With his geeky blue jacker, ballooned pants and a goofy grin, you wouldn't think he can be one of the strongest guys in the planet.

"Why did you and Dad stop training? You can be as strong as Grandpa!"

Goten looked surprised by the question at first, but he turned his attention ahead, jaw set. "No one can get as strong as Dad. He is the best. Your father nearly did so but he doesn't like fighting as Dad does. I guess among the three of us, you resemble him the most, Pan."

Pan lost count on how many times she heard the line from her grandfather's old friends, even from her own parents. Her grandmother used to lament over the fact that her first granddaughter is nowhere as normal girl as Marron or Bulla for that matter who enjoyed shopping clothes and going out to sweet shoppes or cake houses for afternoon teas. Pan _did_ like going out with her grandmother every now and then, and she appreciate all her lessons to raise her as a well-mannered girl, but she doesn't see these activities as nearly important as training or rescuing other people as Saiyan Girl. If she only stands there pretty as a flower while she knew she can do something, what good of use is she to the world?

Even though she wasn't born with a Saiyan blood, she doubts she would grow up to be a normal girl. Her mother was a former martial artist herself and her Grandfather Hercule is still worshipped as the greatest hero on Earth. She was born to be a warrior and that's the way it is.

Before long, Uncle and niece reached the spot Marron indicated in her invitation. She is already there, setting down the meals on a wooden table under a lone tree, humming to herself. Her long golden hair in a loose braid over her shoulder and she is wearing a casual white top and blue short pants. With her grace and amazing eye for details, she is the perfect lady Chichi would want her granddaughter to be, and Pan couldn't really blame her for thinking like that.

"Well look who finally showed up." Her blue, large eyes welcomed them warmly. "Thought you would ditch me."

"Why would we ditch a friend's birthday birthday picnic. We wouldn't miss it for the world." Goten responded.

Marron threw Goten an icy glare. "You almost missed my last year's birthday just because of a stupid date."

"It's because I completely forgot last year." Goten scratched the back of his head. "Oh c'mon, Marron. We're here now and that's the more important thing, right?"

Pan looked around. "Wow, we have the whole place to ourselves."

Marron nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah, it will be like the good old times when we used to play around the fields, jump on flower beds and roll down the hills." She gushes unabashedly, "There's supposed to be a family who will go fishing in the lake today but I managed to convince them to try someplace else." She winks at them both and continues to set down the food, humming to herself.

Both Pan and Goten looked at each other, deciding it's better to not ask how exactly she convinced them. They suspected she had her own 'mysterious' methods, just like her mother.

"Just as long as I have plenty of space to try my new moves, I don't have any problem with this," said Pan excitedly, already running to the fields and stretching her legs.

"Pan! Didn't you just train this morning? Come back here or there won't be any cakes for you." Marron raised her voice in what Pan described as her big sister voice.

Before Pan could retort, she sensed a brief flash of energy from the sky. Goten also looked up with a knowing smile. "Well, look who finally showed up. It's Mr. Hotshot himself."

Wearing a dark suit matched with a red striped necktie, Trunks emerged from the smoke of his Capsule and landed lightly on the grass beside Pan. He unconsciously patted his suit, getting rid of any wrinkle on his neatly-pressed attire, his bag slung on his shoulder.

"Sorry for being late, guys. I had to pick up Bulla from school after my meeting." He put his hands on his hips and moved his head from side-to-side, stretching his neck. "Lucky, we got here just in time before Goten hogs all the food."

"' _Hogs'_ If your mom can hear you now." Scoffed Goten good-naturedly. During their teens, Goten learned his bestfriend has to juggle two trainings: one being given by his father for fighting and one being given by his mother for good manners and etiquette, and he has to upload these lessons without his mother around. That gave Goten endless fun of provoking him into saying and doing things that he vowed would never do especially on public.

"Eh, I've known harsher words." He shrugged and smiled at Marron, blue eyes softening. "Hey, Marron. Happy Birthday! Sorry I have to dress like a dork today."

Marron shook her head. "I'm just glad you made it. You look handsome though!" She beamed, then noticed Pan's cheeks turning bright pink. "Doesn't he, Pan?"

Pan blanched and averted her face, turning a million shades of red. "What!? I don't care what he wears! He still looks the same!"

She could feel Trunks staring at her and it made her a lot more uncomfortable. Meanwhile, her stupid uncle is just laughing at her expense. She threw him a glare but he only laughed harder.

"It's nice to see you too, Pan." Trunks smiled down at her, ignoring Goten. "Dad hasn't gotten back from space but he's concerned with your training, I can tell. Drop by Capsule Corp once he gets back, okay?"

Pan could only nod her head in response, making a mental note to give her uncle the slap of the century once they get home.

"Where is your sister, Trunks?" Marron looked around, expecting Bulla to pop in on a speed of light just as her other Saiyan friends are prone to do.

"On her way. She's supposed to be driving the aircraft by now."

"Supposed to be?"

Trunks' face gave way into a smug grin, one they are all familiar with when he's up to no good. "Let's just say I did some minor modifications in her small plane that she has to fix before taking flight." His eyes strayed towards the sky. "There she is. That was quick."

They all looked up to the yellow aircraft gliding erratically through the clouds. Like a rocket, it dove towards them in break-neck speed that Goten instinctively moved in front of Marron to protect her just in case.

But instead of spiraling down to the ground, the craft came into complete halt after several seconds, when Trunks stopped the vehicle by his hand. The engine rumbled for a few seconds before it died with a loud hiss.

"She's got to really work on her landing." Marron observed dryly.

The door of the craft slid open, and a blue-haired girl emerged out of the ship, completely unharmed but covered in soot and some grime. Her furious blue eyes, similar to Trunks, went straight to her brother and everyone, including Pan herself, braced for the incoming explosion.

"Trunks! What's the big idea of leaving me just like that!?" She marched in front of her brother and stomped her small foot in anger. "That's the fourth time you left me in the middle of nowhere with a ship that won't start. What if I couldn't fix it, huh?"

"Well you did. That's why you're here." Trunks pointed out with a grin. "Lighten up, little sister. I wouldn't cause any damage you can't fix. It's all basic engineering."

Bulla looked down at her dress with a pout. "I messed up my new dress fixing that ship, you big dork."

"What are you gonna do? Tell Papa about this? Wouldn't want to let him know how you used his training droids as mechanical pets, would you?"

Bulla glared at him but instead of retorting, she just crossed her arms against her chest. Pan forced down a small chuckle coming out of her mouth. With her pout and big scowl, she almost looked like her father.

"Don't worry, Bulla. I can help you wash yourself in the lake," Marron offered. At the sight of her, Bulla immediately brightened and she headed straight to Marron's arms.

Pan watched their embrace, feeling a little out-of-place. Both girls don't like fighting as much as she did, and she hardly spends time with them doing 'girly' stuff. She's either busy training or masquerading as Saiyan Girl to even join them in shopping or with Bulla's appetite, running any restaurant or candy shoppe dry. Even if she had the time, her grandmother makes it sure she spend it with her family, especially when her grandfather is back on Earth for a while.

Marron is a perfect big sister for both of her and Bulla, and although she is trained by her parents to fight in order to defend herself, she prefers spending time with her pets and accompanying her mother in shopping. Bulla is roughly a year and a half younger than Pan, a half-Saiyan like her father, brother and Goten, but she hardly cares about fighting. She doesn't even know how to fly yet!

"Hey there, Pan! We haven't seen you for a long time." Bulla ran towards her, grinning wide. It's true though, she only comes to Capsule Corp whenever her father wants her to pick up some equipment or research materials, or when she gets to train in the Gravity Room.

"Unlike you, Pan's too busy doing productive things and saving the world." Trunks replied. "Not dressing up droids and teaching them useless tricks."

"Shut up, Trunks. Even Grandpa said those were pretty neat tricks." Bulla smirked proudly.

"Whatever."

"Alright you two, cut it out. It's Marron's birthday. Don't spoil it with sibling squabble like you always do." Goten cheerfully said, coming in between the two.

When all the hubbub came down, the five youths were finally able to settle down to enjoy Marron's pastries and sweets. Goten proudly showed his customized bike to Trunks who studied it as an expert mechanic would. Marron is now happily handing sandwiches to the girls while humming a familiar song about cherry blossoms.

"So, Pan. How do you feel about becoming a big sister?" she asked Pan who is in the middle of chowing down her fifth chicken sandwich.

Pan shrugged. "I really don't feel like it. 'Guess because the baby isn't here yet." To be honest, she's been a little more than excited ever since her father told her the news that her mom is going to have a baby. When they learned it was going to be a boy, Pan couldn't stop herself from counting down the days her baby brother would be born. Think about it! A new Saiyan-in-training. It would be awesome if she will be the one who would train him. She can just imagine Saiyan Girl having a little sidekick in tow.

"A baby would be so cute!" Bulla piped in, eyes sparkling. While her dress is being dried off under the tree, she is wearing a white dress under her dark red jacket with a Capsule Corp logo on its back. "Lucky you, Pan. I wish we can have a baby in our house too."

Trunks gave his 8-year-old sister an amused grin. "I wished for a baby brother once. Look at how it turned out." he sighed dramatically. "I should have wished for a brand new sword instead."

"Nobody cares about you and your swords." Bulla let out her tongue at him, before turning back to Pan. "Has your Grandpa returned from Space yet."

"Nope. My Dad said he won't be back until next month, hopefully before the baby arrives," said Pan with an unmistakable sadness in her voice.

"Papa won't also return anytime soon." Bulla pouted and looked up to the sky. "Honestly, what's so fun about training?"

"Isn't he training with the King in Planet Sadla?" Pan wished she should have pleaded Uncle Vegeta to take her along. Fighting against the Saiyans in Universe 6 must be something else!

Bulla continue to frown at the sky, blue eyes squinting at the mid-day sun. "Hey….there's something falling from the sky."

The rest looked up as well. The thing in question resembles more like a bright yellow dot sailing across the sky, no bigger than the moon. Trunks, Goten and Pan immediately figured it's a ship falling from space, its size no bigger than that of Saiyan pod.

"You guys expecting any visitor from space today?" Goten asked to no one in particular. "It must be Jaco, don't you think?"

"That's not his ship, or any Galactic Patroller's for that matter." Trunks narrowed his eyes to the sky.

"Well, whoever it is, we should make sure it doesn't land on somebody else's roof," said Goten. The two launched off to the sky faster than anyone can blink. Pan was about to follow them but Goten turned back to look at her. "Pan, stay here and keep an eye on this."

He threw her a zip bag, which is surprisingly light. "What's this?"

Goten flashed her a mischievous grin. "Borrowed the Four star Dragon ball for a little bit."

Marron's eyes widened. "What, are you guys crazy?"

"We'll explain later." Goten winked at her before dashing off to chase after Trunks.

Pan eagerly unzipped the bag, dark eyes shining in excitement. Almost solemnly, she reached down and felt the cold, smooth sphere at the bottom of the bag. She felt Bulla and Marron standing beside her and their wide eyes are reflected by the unmarked surface, glinting in orange glow under the sun.

The stories of how her grandpa and his friends searched the Dragon Balls on his youth were Pan's bedtime stories ever since she was trying to learn how to walk. She knew how the story begins and how it ends - always with her grandpa and his friends' victory in the end. Yet this is the first time she held on her palm the source of all the adventures and she couldn't help but to feel a stirring on the air, as if by merely touching it, a set of not-so-ordinary events will be put into motion.

"Those guys…" Marron shakes her head. "How did they manage to sneak out a Dragon Ball from Kami's Place? Dende wouldn't agree on a stupid game like this."

"He must have let them borrow it for awhile." Bulla paused for a dramatic effect. "Big brother has been working on something lately and from the blueprints I found out in his room last week, he's been working on his own model of Dragon Radar. Maybe he and Goten wanted to test it and Dende goes along with the plan."

"Why would he make a Radar when your mom already have one?" Pan pointed out.

Bulla shrugged at that. "Mama never actually taught us how to make one. She encourages we create our own Radar without seeing her prototype or the blueprints. My brother sort of took that as a challenge out of sheer boredom. You guys know how he is."

"Yeah, well this is something I expect Goten would do, not him." Marron muttered. "Anyway, Pan. You should keep it in the bag. We don't want to attract any weirdos around who happened to saw us with that thing."

Pan turned her eyes back to the Dragon Ball on her palm. The four stars seemed to swirl the longer she stares, it's almost hypnotizing. Marron is right, though. Nothing ever good comes out in holding a powerful object in open view. She was about to put it back on Goten's bag when Bulla pointed at the sky.

"Look, Trunks and Goten are back!"

Pan quickly saw that Goten has someone on his back. Trunks is balancing a space pod between his shoulders. The sphere is in a bad shape, as if it traveled a great distance before reaching Earth. The large dent at the top seemed to have been caused by a strong impact and it maybe one of the reasons why the ship is free-falling from space.

"Marron, I hope you brought an extra plate." Goten flashed her a sheepish smile as he let down a red-skinned creature from his back. "Someone's going to join us for lunch!"


	2. Chapter 2: The Mysterious Visitor

**I DON'T OWN ANYTHING!**

 **Chapter II: The Mysterious Visitor**

"What do you think he is?"

"Why is his skin so red?"

"Hey you two, give him some room to breathe. You don't want him waking up with you two all over his face!"

"Why is he dressed like that? Is he some kind of royalty?

"Maybe he's a prince!"

"Hey Uncle, do you think he can fight? He looks strong!"

Goten held his niece by the shoulder, "We don't even know if we can trust this guy"

"Well why did you rescue him in the first place?" retorted Pan, shrugging off Goten's hold on her shoulder.

"And let the ship fall? Knowing he'd be turned into an alien version of a pancake someone has to scrape off sooner or later?" Trunks loosened his necktie and removed his sharp coat, never taking his eyes off the alien. "But even if he turns up as a bad guy, there are five of us that can take him down."

"Uh, make that three." Marron raised a brow at him. "Bulla and I will just get in the way."

"Yeah, I'm sure your black belt and two world championship medals would just get in the way." Trunks countered with a sly smile.

"This guy is obviously not from Earth, and relying on experience with you guys, I might as well glue feathers on my back and call myself a sitting duck in the battlefield."

The alien suddenly let out a low moan. Propped against a tree, he looked so utterly defenseless that Pan couldn't help but to feel sorry at his current state. She couldn't imagine waking up in a strange planet like in this, alone and at the mercy of the species residing on that planet.

His eyes were remarkably green, but the film around it is as dark as a starless sky. When his eyes settled on them, Pan unconsciously stepped back, surprised at the unnerving color of his eyes.

The alien tried to raise himself up but was too helpless to stand by himself. Pan realized he was tall - like a foot taller than Trunks! His muscles rippled into movement as he struggled to stand up. With his dark blue armor and white cape, she can tell right away that this guy is a high-ranking officer, or just as Bulla said earlier, a member of a royal family in some distant planet.

Why and how did he arrive on Earth in such a harried state is a question she has to know before the day ends or she wouldn't get any sleep at all.

"Where am I?" The alien asked in a calm, clearly feminine voice. Everyone except Goten doubled over at the revelation that their unexpected guest is a girl.

"You're on Planet Earth of the Seventh Universe." Goten replied with friendly warmth. "We saw your ship entering the atmosphere and felt you need help. Speaking of ship, it's right here." He pointed at the ship which had escaped a more destructive damage than landing on earth like a splattered egg.

The alien, Pan isn't so sure whether to refer to it as male or female- somehow, she felt rude to ask- ran an absent-minded hand against its golden mane. She looked to be in deep thought. For a moment, no one spoke, waiting for the alien to speak first. Running out of patience, it was Trunks who finally broke the tensed silence.

"What's your business here in Earth?" he brusquely asked "Why did you come here?"

The alien looked at him dead in the eye. "Is this the Planet Earth where the Super Saiyan Gods reside?"

"Super Saiyan God? My grandpa is one." Pan exclaimed in surprise. "How do you know him?"

The alien shook its head. "No. We haven't met...yet. My name is Rupa from Planet Spinel. I was sent to talk with the Saiyan Warrior Gods here on Earth. You claimed one of them is a kin. Is he presently here on Earth?"

"Well, he's in a different part of the universe right now." Goten informed her, scratching his head.

"More like another universe." Pan clarified under her breath. "Is there something you want with my grandpa?"

"I see…" Rupa's voice trailed away, features hardening as she turned to Pan. "Are all of you related to these Saiyan Gods?"

Pan nodded, unaware of the look of suspicion crossing Trunks' face. Marron sensed immediately a change in Trunks' mood and she instinctively pulled Bulla behind her, making the little girl yelp in surprise.

"What is your business with Son Goku and my father?" Trunks advanced, scowling even harder than he usually did. Everyone looked at him in surprise, but even the smile on Goten's face vanished that instant. He is never one to distrust his best friend's instinct.

The alien called Rupa remained silent, not breaking any eye contact with Trunks. Then, a sneer formed its way on crimson lips. The smile is more creepy than intimidating. Pan didn't have any time to decide which as Rupa suddenly released an energy ball towards Goten. Goten reacted by deflecting the attack with his own, causing a powerful explosion that sent everyone flying to the air. Pan managed to cover her face with her arms, her mind barely comprehending what the hell is happening.

He felt a strong hand tugging her shirt and felt Trunks behind her. Marron's arm is circled around his shoulder, her other arm supporting Bulla against her. They looked rattled but otherwise, unhurt.

"I knew it. I had a bad feeling about her from the start." Trunks eyed the smoke grimly below him where Rupa and Goten have once stood. "Pan, take Marron and Bulla with you. Tell your father and Piccolo we have an unwanted visitor."

Marron disengaged herself from Trunks and started floating beside him. "What about you?" She asked worriedly.

"Join the fray, of course." He deftly rolled his sleeves up, like he's going to dive down a broken engine to fix it. "It's been a while since my training became this serious and unexpected." He added with a wry smile.

"I'll fight with you!" Pan quickly said, unable to keep the grin off her face. She couldn't believe how this day turned out. A few minutes before, they were having a peaceful, boring picnic and they now, she's about to join a brawl with an obviously powerful alien. An alien who can control her Ki like this, keeping it low even with that attack, is an opponent worthy of her time and training.

Trunks studied Pan for a moment, obviously weighing the situation if she gets involved. He then fixed Marron a stern eye. "Marron, you guys get away from here. The three of us would take care of this guy..er, girl. Whatever she is. Use Bulla's plane if you have to get away here fast."

Marron nodded, obviously reluctant to leave them behind. "Just be careful."

"Kick that ungrateful alien's butt back to space." Bulla told them, her scowl remarkably similar with her brother's.

"Marron, wait!" Pan realized that she still has Goten's bag where the Dragon Ball is. She tossed it towards them and Marron effortlessly caught it with one hand before blasting off.

Both Trunks and Pan watched until the two girls disappear over the distance before turning their attention back to the ongoing battle below them.

Goten and Rupa have emerged from the smoke, throwing punches and kicks at each other. Rupa hasn't shown any sign of weakness or injury as before, ferociously attacking Goten and matching his speed and strength with ease. Even Goten seemed impressed.

"You are the son of _that_ Saiyan warrior." Rupa bit out when they broke apart. Her face is as emotionless as her voice. "It's quite fortunate that we found all of you in one spot. Scouring you one-by-one might cause more damage on your pathetic little planet."

"Man, this is the first time after awhile that we rescued someone and looked cool about it but she turned out to be a bad guy." Goten muttered under his breath. He grinned when Trunks and Pan landed behind him. "Pan, I know you can't resist a good fight."

"Goten, be serious. Don't take this creature lightly." Trunks warned, locking his eyes on the alien.

Rupa turned her attention at Trunks. "I sense you have great power too. No doubt you are related to one of the Saiyan Warriors." she stated matter-of-factly. "And this little girl here possess great power too. This is getting interesting.."

"Get yourself a medal, why don't you?" Trunks raised his arms at the same the level of his chest, one foot forward, his left palm facing Rupa while the other one folds in a fist. Pan instantly knew that's where he holds the Capsule for his sword, something he'd rarely use. He only used this sword on special situations, and this is clearly one of them.

"The two girls who left? Are they Saiyan Hybrids too?"

"None of your business." Pan slowly got in her basic fighting stance. "You'll have to fight us first before finding out."

"You misunderstand my intention here. It would be far better for you not to fight than wasting your energy fighting me." Rupa stood serenely as the three Earth warriors circled around her. "I hardly call three Saiyan Hybrids a challenge."

"What did you say?" Pan raised her fist at him, clearly offended. "Why I'll have you know, we were trained by the greatest fighters on Earth and even in the whole 7th Universe, you tomato-skinned freak." She's about to make her attack but Trunks lowered his arm in front of her.

"State your business here in two minutes." he said in a calm, dangerous voice. "And then we'll decide if we're going to let you off this planet alive."

Rupa nodded in agreement, but she still kept her guard up, throwing a cautious glance at Goten behind her. "You are all aware of other Universes existing apart from your own, correct? With each Universe having its own Gods, its own beings capable of kindness and destruction. I am from one of such Universe. I came from the 10th Universe."

"And which kind are you?" asked Trunks, smirking. "As you may know already, _kind_ isn't exactly the word we'd use to describe you at the moment."

"More like, rude." Goten muttered. "We have lots of visitors coming from other Universes before. And so far, you are the only guest who attacks us knowing who she's up against."

"Like I said before, Saiyan hybrids are hardly a threat." Rupa closed her eyes for a moment as if entering into a deep trance. "You may make your transformation. I wouldn't enjoy studying your power at your base form."

"Why you-!" Goten lost no time to leap behind her, transforming into a Super Saiyan at the same time. Despite Goten's extreme speed, Rupa managed to disappear right before him. She teleported behind him kicked and him right on his spine, the movement powerful enough to drive him back on the ground. He easily recovered from the impact and before long, Pan is witnessing the most intense fight she saw her uncle is ever part of. His golden aura pulsates through the whole area in rolling waves that Pan is certain anyone in the planet who are the very least, aware of Ki and energy levels, would sense it.

It's incredible that the alien can fight in equal footing with her uncle without even raising her Ki on a level that of a decent warrior. If anything, she looked like she's just indulging him, or if Pan believed her words earlier, studying his every move. It could be that her uncle is also not showing his full strength, but fighting a Super Saiyan without even breaking a sweat...Pan felt a strange uneasiness at the pit of her stomach.

Besides her, Trunks also transformed, his eyes shining like emerald shards as he watched the fight. "She's not fighting seriously. Pan, let's join in."

Under normal circumstances, Pan loathed the idea of jumping on a three-against-one battle, but Rupa is clearly not an ordinary enemy. With a smirk, she powered her Ki and nodded eagerly at Trunks.


	3. Chapter 3: A Warrior from Universe 10

I DO NOT OWN ANYTHING!

 **Chapter III: The Mysterious Warrior from Universe 10**

Back in the sky, Marron threw a worried glance over her shoulder, wondering if her friends have taken care of the hostile creature from space. Having been friends with Saiyans for a long time, she knew full well how powerful and dangerous they can be. She can say it's by some stretch of miracle that she's still alive around them.

She shouldn't feel uneasy. They are Saiyans. And even if the alien managed to take them down, they still have Piccolo and the others to rely on.

But something tells her this isn't going to be one of those days.

Marron's martial arts training came off late, a few years after Pan was born. Her father is no longer a monk nor a fighter. He had long replaced his orange Gi with a police uniform. Although his fighting days are long gone, he made sure Marron is at least honed with her Ki. Her mother proved to be a skilled fighter too, though try as she might, she can't sense her Ki. She never really found out why and she's just happy that her parents are normal enough to be around, not gallivanting across the Universe to find capable sparring partners. It's one of those things she's thankful for having Earthling parents.

"Did you sense that?" She turned to Bulla beside her. She sensed the strong spike of Ki, something she can only attribute to Super Saiyans. "I felt it. Goten has transformed."

"It's a good thing, right?"

Marron shook her head, biting her lip. "Goten hasn't transformed in battle since forever. At least not since how I remember it." She paused for a moment. "Your brother's now fighting too. That means Goten couldn't beat her by himself."

Bulla fell silent for a moment, now understanding what she meant. "She's looking for Papa and Uncle Kakarot, right? Maybe she just wants to fight them for fun, just like every musclehead in the Universe."

"The most important thing is to get away from it all." Marron said urgently. "The two of us wouldn't stand a chance, even if you can turn into a Super Saiyan."

Bulla shook her head. "Thanks for the reminder. I'm sure I'll remember that when _she_ comes after us."

Before the two girls can gain a safe distance, Marron was suddenly struck by a strange feeling of heaviness. Her arms felt limp but her legs felt like a heavy stone is strapped on each ankle. The horizon and the clouds in front of her are slowly fading into bright white.

"Marron…" Bulla's voice is a distant echo from her right. "Are you okay? What's wrong?"

Marron tried to shake the feeling off her but the strange sensation is slowly paralyzing her whole body. "Bulla...get your Capsule ready…" She managed to say in between short, quick breaths. They sharply dipped to a dangerous free-fall and Bulla naturally clung to Marron's neck in death-like grip, whimpering in fear. Of all the things she could have learned from her father, why didn't she think of flying?

"Bulla, you're..making it hard for me to….breathe...AAAGH!" Marron shouted at her. "Get ready the capsule...I can't….fight this off."

Bulla very much wanted to retort but she obediently pulled the Capsule of her vehicle from her pocket, staring worriedly at Marron's pale face.

"Use it...when we fall.." Marron half-mumbled, half-slurred. Bulla wondered if the big kids sneaked in one of those yucky-tasting beers again but this is the first time she'd seen Marron like this.

"What? Fall?"

At that, Marron's eyes closed. Like a light that has been switched off, Marron's whole body went limp and the two of them came hurtling down from the sky.

The earth comes closer and closer and Bulla could only close her eyes, thinking of that one person who's not in the planet to save her right now.

"PAPAAAAAAA!"

Pan turned around, certain that she heard something from a distance. She spit out the blood forming from a deep wound inside her cheek before focusing once more to the source of the sound. It sounded like a scream - a girl's scream, and she only knew one person with a pair of lungs like that.

Trunks had already taken off to the direction of the sound, his shirt earlier now in tatters. The battle barely lasted a minute and Rupa is still standing in front of them, panting slightly. She is also covered in bruises and dried blood but her face remained impassive, her green cold eyes regarding them one by one. When Trunks flew off to check out Bulla and Pan, her whole body tensed and took off after him.

"Hey!" Goten chased after her, his left eyelid beginning to swell. The fight barely lasted a minute but it was one of the most intense fights he had in his adult life, second only to spars with his father who is the strongest man in the Universe.

Rupa proved to be an unexpectedly tough opponent. She is no Lord Beerus nor Whis but it's easy to assume that she may be the strongest fighter in the Universe.

Pan and Goten flew side-by-side and fired off a series of energy blasts towards Rupa. She just fixed them an irritated glance before charging an energy ball on her left hand and pointing it to the two who scrambled out of the way. At the corner of her eye, Pan spotted Marron's body plummeting to the ground, her golden braids whipping through the wind. She accelerated her speed and effortlessly caught her body at the same time Trunks reached his sister.

Bulla's about to throw the Capsule to release her hovercraft when she felt a sharp tug at behind her jacket. She found herself on her brother's back, her arms clinging around his shoulder.

"You okay?" He asked, glancing behind his shoulder at her, still in his Super Saiyan form.

Bulla lightly jabbed her brother on the shoulder. "What took you so long? And what happened to you? Mom's gonna have a fit when she saw what you did with your new suit."

"I've got bigger problems than that." Trunks muttered under his breath, his eyes focusing once again on Rupa.

"Err...Trunks?"

"What now?" He asked his sister in exasperation.

Bulla pointed at Goten's black bag disappearing below a thin layer of clouds. Trunks cursed under his breath but he saw Goten already dashing in to catch it. The black-haired Saiyan caught it on time, hugging the bag to his chest and making a perfect landing on the ground. He looked up to the sky for a moment and quickly scanned the surroundings for a safe spot to temporarily hide the Dragon Ball before Rupa realize what he's doing _and_ what he's holding.

"What did you do to our friend!?" On the air, Pan shouted at Rupa, arms protectively around the unconscious Marron.

Instead of answering her, Rupa made a quick movement in her wrist. To the shock of everyone, a silver bug emerged from Marron's yellow nape and flew back to Rupa, landing exactly on her finger. It's as small as any other insect. If Pan didn't have sharp eyesight, she would have missed the whole creature together.

"That proves the girl you are holding is a pure Earthling." Rupa nodded towards Marron. "The Drainer Bug already has its fill of that girl's energy, which is unsurprisingly not that much. I put it on her neck when she helped this young man..." She suddenly turned to Goten who froze on his tracks. "...carry my body to the place where I finally regained my consciousness. I almost feel sorry for doing that to her." Rupa admitted with a dismissive shrug.

Pan unconsciously felt for her neck for any creepy metallic bug but found nothing. "Is that how you say thanks in your Universe?" she balled her fists at her, beyond pissed at the gall of the alien freak who, minutes ago, she might have found enjoyable to fight with. Turns out, she's more than just a skilled fighter, but a crazy one at that.

Trunks instantly appeared beside her, Bulla in tow. "Pan, get somewhere fast. Goten and I would handle this."

"Are you sure? She's tough even with the three of us." Pan's eyes widened in realization. "You're going to fuse?"

As a fighter, Pan had been trained to use her best techniques and forms when the worse turns to worst. She perfectly knows the feeling of hiding her true power especially when most people around her would never understand. In her years of training, she had a few techniques hidden on her sleeve to use when the situation calls it, and she almost never use them. Every fighter has that, even her Grandfather. Using the Fusion at this point means this situation has turned to a scenario with far worse implications than before, as Piccolo is prone on saying.

Trunks nodded at her absent-mindedly. Pan bit her lip, wondering if Trunks' plan would work. In the end, she knew she had to trust him. Wordlessly, she held supported Bulla with her shoulder while maintaining a tight grip around Marron on the other.

"Here." Trunks tossed a capsule to his sister. "The Radar is in there. Make sure you and Pan get this back home. We don't want this to fall on some alien's slimy hands and risk mom blowing her top."

"You know, big brother, if you weren't showing off, this wouldn't be here." Bulla replied.

Trunks fixed a stern, teal eye at Pan. "Take my sister to safety before her big mouth puts both of you into trouble." He sped off to Rupa's direction. Pan watched him for a second before flying to the opposite direction.

Below them, Goten is waiting for an opportunity where he can make a break out of it without fighting with Rupa. He knew the alien is clearly preoccupied with his friends at the moment but it seemed like she had eyes on the back of her head. Fighting her earlier proved as much. Slowly inching his way out of her peripheral, he tucked the bag against his chest. Looked up. Moved away. Flying would just make her notice him. Trunks is doing a good job keeping her busy but he still needs to be careful.

Just then, he felt a heavy sensation pressing down his shoulders. His knees begin to buckle and he swayed unsteadily, his vision suddenly swimming. He tried to raise his arm to balance himself but they hung uselessly on his sides, his fingertips barely gripping the bag. As much as he willed his body to move and hide out of Rupa's sight, he can only manage small steps before finally dropping to the floor like a bag of radishes toppling down.

Man, I must be out of shape. He thought, torn between stunned and angry with himself. He only transformed once and now he can barely move. Mr. _Piccolo would have a great fit when he saw me like this._

"Goten, what's wrong with you?" his bestfriend shouted above him. "In case you've noticed, this isn't the time for a nap."

"Just give me...a minute…" he felt his eyelids dropping by each word. Little does he know, the silver Bug is having its fill of his energy, hidden behind his thick, unruly hair.

Satisfied that the Saiyan Hybrid wouldn't go anywhere and is still within her rage, Rupa turned back to Trunks. She's about to say something, but a small, square-shaped image suddenly activated in front of her left eye. For the next few seconds, Rupa appeared to be listening to the person on the hologram, yet her eyes would casually scan over them, daring any of them to move.

"As you wish, brother." Rupa smoothly replied. She turned off the hologram and looked at them one-by-one. "I'm afraid we don't have any time for warm-ups anymore. My mission objective why I came here on Earth is to find all of you Saiyan Hybrids and take you back with me to the 10th Universe. Not that you have any choice in the matter, but you are free to resist." She hid the Drainer Bug on her belt pocket hidden under the shadow of her cape, her green-black eyes suddenly taking on a wicked gleam "And if you are to resist, then let us make this quick."

"Let's hurry up, Mr. Piccolo!"

Piccolo didn't need to hear Uub's urgent plea to fly faster. He knew very well how they need to get to Pan and the others, his mouth set in a grim line. With Trunks and Goten taking care of the situation, he shouldn't feel this uneasy. He attributed this to his pessimistic view on everything. His past experience have taught him to always expect the worst.

"Gohan.." He mentally called to his former student. "Did you sense that?"

Gohan replied without a moment's delay. "Yeah, I'm on my way." He paused, a taut silence filling them. "We just need Pan and the others to hold on just a little longer."

"Pan, Trunks and Goten cannot defeat her together." Piccolo stated. "It has been a while before we encountered someone like this"

In a flash, a beam of light suddenly pierced through the air, nearly hitting them. Piccolo and Uub. looked up to see the attacker floating a few meters above them.

The first thing Uub noticed is his red skin. It reminds him of molten lava and it shimmers in response to the afternoon light. His white cape flutters slightly in the wind, but it doesn't look heavy and intimidating as his Namekian master's. His eyes are of a strange color - a mix of green and black that narrows imperceptibly at the sight of them. He almost looked humanoid if not for the color of his skin and the large muscles bulking his arms and legs.

Uub tried to read his Ki but for all he knew, the strange alien might be masking it. Piccolo seemed to read his mind and subtly shook his head. It's useless to try.

"A Namekian on Earth?" the voice - Uub discovered to his surprise - clearly belongs to a female. A smug look crossed her stoic face. "We have Gods, Saiyans and Namekians. Earth is truly a fascinating planet. I wish we could have visited sooner."

"Where are they?" Piccolo cut to the chase and glared at the alien. Uub tried to sense Pan's signature but somehow, he came up blank. It was kind of a surprise. Growing up together and learning together, Pan's Ki is almost similar to his own. This is the first time he lost track of her, unless she learned the tricky part of hiding her Ki even from him, one Uub hasn't clearly mastered yet.

He wished that was the case.

"They are still alive. We don't intend to cause any harm" The alien continued, fixing her eyes on Uub. The young man instinctively flexed his arms, ready to fight. "The two young men have fused and their new form stands a better chance than before. The blonde girl is unconscious and useless, having been drained by my Bug. The two young girls barely have a chance." She opened her eyes once again and Uub felt cold prickling his spine as her emotionless eyes studied him, clearly weighing his strength. "Now they are on the ground, hit by one of my attacks. They will survive, but not for very long."

"Who are they fighting with?" growled Piccolo. Inwardly, he's communicating with Gohan to fly faster.

The alien looked at them long and hard. "Why, me, of course."

"How?" Uub demanded before he can stop himself.

She ignored him. "It's no use tracking their Ki. I trapped them in a special zone where no help can reach them. You, on the other hand." She nodded at Piccolo. "Can cause some problems. I may have plenty of things in my plate right now but I sense fighting you wouldn't be exceptionally hard."

"I ask you again: Where are they and what do you want?"

"The problem, Namekian," The alien raised her fists in a fighting stance. "is that I _want_ them."


	4. Chapter 4: The Tournament of Succession

**Apologies for the slow update! I promise to upload as many chapters as I can.**

 **/DB_ don't belong to me. You know the drill.**

/

 **Chapter IV: The Tournament For the New God of Destruction**

Pan stared groggily at Rupa standing over her. That fall was a little painful than she's used to. She stared at the sky and saw that Trunks is trading blows with the same person leering down at her now. She tried to look around and saw Marron sprawled near her, still unconscious but barely breathing. Beside her, Bulla groans in pain. Pan managed to protect them from the fall but the impact must have hurt for someone like Bulla who's not used to rough physical beatdowns.

Of all the opponents she faced, Rupa's got to be the toughest so far. She can make copies of herself! If she isn't so busy trying to knock them out, Pan would have stand awed at that technique. Might even force her to teach it to her. She and her friends are not fighting just a regular clone or a shadow, but a living, breathing creature, the same as the original Rupa. That can fight as the original Rupa. It almost doesn't sound fair!

But then again, they ganged up on her. Not that they have any choice anyway. Rupa proved to be a worthy opponent only the older Z fighters can handle.

"Are you going to cooperate now?" Rupa pressed her foot harder on Pan's chest. Pan just glared at her, her arms locking around Rupa's foot to stop it from stepping on her any further.

"We won't go with you!" Pan declared, feeling a surge of bravery coursing through her from an unknown source.

"In our current position, I believe you don't have much any choice for the matter." Rupa said dryly.

"Oh yeah, wait until Trunks takes care of the other You. And then he'll kick your ass!" She would have to wait just a bit longer for that as Trunks, now in his Super Saiyan Form, still struggling to hit a blow on the other Rupa. The sword he'd been using earlier is impaled uselessly several meters away and Pan itches to clasp her fingers around it and swing it to Rupa just to erase the goading smile off her face. _Great. Now that Goten's out of the game, Trunks is badly out-of-shape._

"You are one spunky little girl, aren't you?" Rupa delivered a swift kick under her chin, the sudden pain temporarily blackened her vision. When Pan opened her eyes again, Rupa is sauntering towards her, her back raw from the friction against the ground. She may have skidded a few meters before coming to full stop. "I admire your courage, but you are still weak. You will remain weak as long as you're here." Rupa glowers down at her before stomping her foot down on her small chest repeatedly.

Pan tried to fight away, to block, but with each force, her body is weakening. She is slightly aware of sputtering out blood but Rupa never stopped. Dimly, she saw Trunks' golden form, diving from the sky to her rescue, but the other Rupa roughly tackled him in mid-air.

Pan immediately didn't think of dying. If Trunks couldn't make it, her father will rescue her. Or surely her grandpa….

Before she lost consciousness, Rupa's torture stopped. She slowly turned her head and it took a while for her red-streaked vision cleared. Bulla is sitting on the ground not far from them, a small laser gun pointed at Rupa. She steadily pointed it to Rupa but Pan can see how her knees quiver as Rupa fully turned to face her.

"Bulla," she coughed out, weakly. She tried to smile but what only come out is a wince as the slightest movement caused a sharp pain in her side. She might have broken a rib or two. "Bulla, run!"

Bulla, of course, didn't seemed to have heard her. Hands slightly trembling, she fired off at Rupa again. As expected, the laser beam hardly cause any damage to Rupa whose full attention is now focused on her.

"Do you not know how to fight?" Rupa asked her calmly. "Why do you rely on useless toys like that?"

"She's not a….fighter." Pan desperately cried out, trying to sit despite the piercing pain. "She's an ordinary Earthling. Can't you read her energy? It's weak. We Saiyans are what you want!"

"She's a Saiyan too. I can see she resembles the other young man with ridiculous hair color." Rupa cocked her head towards Bulla. "Yes, she is weak but I can see she is also untrained."

Pan's heart lurched as Rupa begins charging an energy ball on her left palm. "Uncle Goten! Trunks!" She called out frantically, though Trunks is still up in the sky desperately fighting and Goten is lying on the ground, sleeping.

She strolled towards Bulla, the energy ball on her palm growing larger at each step. "You have to learn how to fight, little girl. You wouldn't survive with petty toys in the place I'm taking you."

Overheard, Trunks sensed his sister is in danger and tried charging down again. He fired off a quick Galick Gun but Rupa flicked it away with a movement on her cape. The other Rupa got behind him and locked his arms from behind.

"I will show you how powerful this attack is." Without hesitation, Rupa threw the energy ball at Bulla, who can only close her eyes. A white light surrounded Pan for a second, her scream of Bulla's name muted by the sound of the blast crashing down the earth.

When Pan opened her eyes, Bulla is already lying on the ground, facedown, her body barely moving at the center of a small crater. Pan's own body tensed, her hands twitching before curling into a fist. A strange energy akin to lightning seemed to strike her, making her flinch. The pain on her chest has disappeared, everything around her faded into white, as she only focused on Rupa standing in front of her.

Rupa turned to her, sensing her power, but she only smirked in anticipation.

"I'm not going to forgive you for hurting my friend!" Pan bit out through gritted teeth, her energy brimming to the surface like a lava pressing up to the mouth of a volcano. Slowly, she stood, her Ki cackling in energy. In a far distant of her mind, an unfamiliar voice whispers to release this energy, this power, she never experienced before. Suddenly, Rupa's presence has shifted into a different thing. This is not just a test of her current strength anymore.

This is survival.

"Stay down," Rupa said quietly, her palm lighting up another energy ball and pointed it to Marron who's still knocked down. "Or she'll be next. Unlike the other one, she probably wouldn't survive."

Biting her lip until it bled, Pan struggled to remain where she is. She knew what's at stake. Marron may have been trained to endure these attacks but she's still an Earthling. She's used to do reckless things on her own, but she had to consider all the possibilities if her friends' lives are at stake.

Rupa sneered in satisfaction before completely extinguishing the energy ball on her hand, noting Pan's hesitation. Before Pan could react, Rupa has teleported behind her, her large hand curling her neck. She felt a sharp pain at the top of her spine, so sudden that she had no time to cry out.

"I promise you will fight me again, but not today."

The words barely reached her ears when her vision suddenly clouded and she felt her body weighing down like an anchor. The last sound she heard before falling into unconsciousness is Trunks shouting her name. 

/

As a disciple of no less than Earth's greatest warrior, Son Goku, Uub can easily tell the difference between a serious fight and a farce - a fight to prolong time and waste his energy. Five minutes into the battle with Rupa, he knew the alien is toying with them.

But unlike his master who would fight them while fully reining in his true strength to test their current level, this one has no intention but to annoy the heck out of him. Rupa didn't even try to block his attack, she just stood there with a maddening smirk, gracefully dodging his attacks. Even Piccolo realized this and he's just watching the fight with wary intensity.

Uub fired off a weak Kame hame ha to distract her but Rupa seemed to plan two steps ahead of him. She deftly slapped away his attack and dove towards him, then faster than he can blink, she charged an energy ball and blasted it directly to his face.

Uub crashed to the ground, his face burning. It only took him a second though and he's back in the air. Despite everything, he couldn't help but to feel a strange sense of elation. It has been awhile since he faced an opponent like this. He flashed Rupa a cocky smirk, idly rubbing the tip of his nose.

A brief flash of surprise crossed Rupa's face at his fast recovery, but it gave way to a thoughtful expression.

"Your Ki seemed familiar, boy. You may be weak now but I sense a great power hidden within you." She turned to Piccolo. "Who is this boy? Is he just another Earthling?"

"We ask the questions here." Piccolo replied. "Where are Pan and the others?"

In response, Rupa cocked her head to one side as if straining to hear something. Her eyes turned glazed and distant. "It's time for me to leave. I have enjoyed our brief encounter." She made a small bow. "Kindly send our regards to the Saiyan Gods. I have no doubt I shall see them soon." Her eyes landed on Uub. "Train well if you want to see your feisty friend once again." She flicked a stone on Piccolo's direction and he caught it before it struck his face.

"Wait!-" Piccolo rushed towards the alien but she disappeared right before their eyes.

Uub turns to Piccolo. "Master Piccolo, can you sense them?"

Piccolo hesitated, teeth gritting. "No. I...I can't sense their energy anymore. It's like they disappeared in the face of the earth."

"We can't give up yet!" Uub turned his back on him and blasted off.

Piccolo remained on the spot, his hand gripping the stone Rupa left behind. It was seemingly an ordinary stone but on its golden flecked letters inscribed the word "Tournament of Succession"

At once he knew they are too late.

/

In the far reaches of the Universe, Cuber clicked his Scouter off and stared at the vast space at the deck of his ship. His long sharp fingernails drummed idly at the metal railings as he consider his next move.

Cuber prides himself as a cautious man. It took him years to formulate this plan and he risked everything for this, even the wrath of the Gods and Kais. He already spent a large amount of energy to travel through the Universal Path of the Gods to bring his ship here. The stakes on his side are high enough as it is. They must get what they want in this Universe within the allotted time agreed by the Gods.

He tipped his head when Cacha appeared behind him. Cuber turned around to face his would-be master, giving a small bow of respect upon his arrival.

Cacha, like most Guardians, appear Humanoid, but he's tall and spindly, like a flower stem and skin give off a warm bluish color. Cuber cannot tell whether it's his Ki or his natural color. His face is half-covered with a steel mask apart from his eyes which appear as narrow slanting slits. His limbs are also covered in bronze, but as heavy as he may look like, he floats in the air like a mist. On his left hand, he holds out the Guardian Staff, the yellow orb at the top giving off a warm, soft glow.

"It is done." Cacha informed him, his voice smooth and flat. "I have informed Lord Beerus of your intention and he agreed."

Cuber grunted. "That easily?"

"With conditions, of course." Cacha flicked his long bronze hair behind him. "The Saiyan Gods are allowed to interfere with your plans during the Tournament. That means if they found the Universal Path, they are free to use this and take back their children."

Cuber shrugged, already expecting that. The God of Destruction of the 7th Universe has planned a different test of his own for his successors. Rupa is already in Earth, battling the Saiyan Hybrids while the Saiyan Gods are somewhere in this Universe. She better make this quick. Facing the Saiyan Gods this soon is the least thing Cuber wants to happen.

"Anything else?" He asked.

"That you will not destroy Earth. His Lordship is rather fond of its culinary gifts."

"I have no intention to." Cuber frowned. "I only came to get the Saiyan Hybrids."

"All of them?"

"Only what my sister can bring to me."

"You are allowed to train them for the Tournament for six months." Cacha continued. "They are only allowed to be in the 10th Universe for two months until they lose the memories of their Home Universe. Until that happens, you are obligated to return them no matter what or the Lord of all Universe would be compelled to intervene. None of us would ever want that."

Cuber nodded, agreeing at once on what his master is pointing out."Two months...One month here is one year passed at my Home Universe."

"Then the Saiyan Gods have two years to retrieve them." Cacha smiled humorlessly. "Lord Beerus seemed to think that this is worthy of a challenge for the two Warriors."

"Just as with the Kais and their ridiculous demands." Cuber observed. "It seems all Gods in each Universe have one thing in common."

"And that's why we exist." Cacha agreed placidly. He tapped his staff and a circle of light appeared underneath him. "We shall see you in one month. I wish you good luck until then."

In a wink of light, he left Cuber alone with his thoughts.


	5. Chapter 5: Separated

**CHARACTERS DO NOT BELONG TO ME :) THIS IS AN AU FIC.**

 **CHAPTER V: Separated**

/

For Pan, it seemed like she slept for eternity. She dreamed of a flying over a valley surrounded by waterfalls, a rainbow arching from the steam rising off the waters. Surrounded by a huge lake is a tiny island supported by a thin earth-like structure, the same way the Lookout was supported by Korin's Tower. There, at the center of the tall grass stands a lone figure. The familiar orange Gi. The wacky jet-black hair. Pan willed herself to fly faster as she comes nearer to her grandfather.

"Grandpa!" She called out, though no voice came out of her throat. She was too elated to see her grandfather after a long time to pay no heed.

Her grandfather continued to stand away from her, his hands on his waist. He seemed to be looking at a point on the top of a waterfall.

"Grandpa! It's me, Pan!" She tried to call once again, but Goku didn't hear her.

Pan tried to draw closer but it seems an invisible wall kept her from touching her grandpa's arm. She willed her whole body to move but the more she exerted Ki, the weaker she becomes. She tried using her best moves but she can't even get close to his shadow.

"Pan." Her grandpa's serious voice froze her in the act of punching the invisible wall. "Do you really want to become my student?"

"Yes." Pan replied in the same voice, years ago when she presented herself in front of her grandfather, battered and her clothes close to tattered after a long grueling month of training under Piccolo in the had passed Piccolo's test that day and she stood to match her grandfather's gaze, sporting a huge black eye and a broken wrist, determination carved on her young face like marble. Not even Gohan was successful to bring her back home. "I want to be strong like you."

"But you can't be as strong as me." Her grandfather continued, now turning to her. His once black eyes full of warmth held nothing but contempt. "You are not a Saiyan. You have limitations and unlike your father and the others, you cannot transform."

Pan knew at once that something must be wrong with her grandfather. He cannot say those things to her. But the way he looked at her, the same face that was always full of merriment and childlike innocence...she couldn't bear it.

"I can do it, Grandpa. I can be as strong as you," she insisted.

Her grandfather shakes his head. "Unless you fully control the power of a Saiyan, you will die. Are you a true Saiyan, Pan?"

"Yes!"

"Prove it. Turn into a Super Saiyan now."

"I…" Pan bit her lip. This is definitely not her grandfather but the words still hurt.

He looked at her for a moment, eyes bright, before finally turning his back on her.

"Go home, Pan. I don't need you to fight with me."

Slowly, her grandpa began to disappear, his body fading into sprinkles of golden dust. Pan tried to reach him once again but her hand felt nothing but air.

"Grandpa..." Her voice rose, heart thumping against her chest. "Grandpa!"

 ** _"_** ** _Grandpa!"_**

Pan woke from the dream, her eyes opening wide in alarm. At once, she felt sluggish and weak, and it seems she was stuck inside some kind of a pudding. It took her a few seconds to realize that she is inside pod, like a pickle inside a jar. She barely felt the liquid surrounding her but when she tries any tiniest hint of movement, like moving her lips, it felt like her body had been frozen for a thousand of years.

Where am I? Her voice even sounded strange in her head.

As her eyes adjusted to the liquid, she saw that some kind of oxygen mask is placed on her nose and mouth. Small, thin wires and cables with patches on end are also placed on various parts of her body. Both of her hands are enclosed in a metal-like glove attached from the floor of the tube, and as much as she tried to pry them free, she can't. She never felt so weak. It's as if the tube is draining all of her energy.

"Son Pan." A deep, raspy voice boomed out of nowhere which startled the daylights out of her. Pan tried to look around but the cables and gloves inside the pod effectively held her in place.

The glass in front of her begins to glow white until it forms a white screen the size of a TV frame. Pan can only watch in astonishment as the screen cleared to reveal an empty room that has a magnificent view of space. A pair of crimson hands suddenly emerged from the bottom of the screen.

"Rupa, can you move the camera so she can see me..No! What are you doing?" The man who must be the owner of the voice sounded irritated. The camera slowly pans to the left then to the right. "Down, Rupa. How many times do I have to tell you that the left switch is for the movement!"

"You never said anything about me doing this crap!" A distant voice fired back.

Pan can only watch, half-dismayed and half curious as the two bickered while the screen unwittingly reveals a panorama of the room. A huge planet with a distinct purple color hovers silently through the glass wall, huge and half-covered in shadow.

Finally, the screen stopped moving from left to right until it slowly panned down to reveal a...creature with a weathered skin of deep maroon. He shares the same complexion as Rupa, the same long, thick hair but unlike Rupa, he is laughably small and pudgy-looking.

"I am glad that you're finally awake, Son Pan." In spite of the situation, Pan's lips twitched in hilarity. This squeak reminded her of Pilaf in so many levels, especially with the level of height. "Before anything else, allow me to introduce myself. My name is Cuber. My sister brought you and your friends here in this Universe due to my request."

Anger rose from Pan's chest as she remembered how Rupa cruelly took down Goten, Trunks and Bulla and almost killed Marron. To top it all off, she didn't go with all her strength on her, casually toying with her and for letting her believe they might have a chance.

"You must be asking: _where are my friends? What did you do to them?_ " Cuber continued, noting the emotions playing on Pan's eyes. "I assure you, your friends are safe for now, huddled inside a space pod the same as yours. Seeing them once again remains a question, however. It's one of the reasons why you're here."

As Cuber spoke, cables have started to disengage themselves from her skin. The liquid paralyzing her body slowly started going down. Oxygen filled her lungs and she almost fainted at her first breath. The metal chains holding her hands fell with a dull thump on the metallic floor.

"Why am I….here?" Pan repeated, her hand tearing off the ghastly mask filling her nose, keeping her eyes on the screen.

"We are preparing you for a Test."

"What? What test?" Pan demanded, wondering why they have to abduct her and her friends for a silly thing.

Cuber held out a hand. "The gods of Universe 10 has decided to conduct a tournament for the new God of Destruction. Lord Jiin, the present god, is at the twilight years of his existence. Lord Jiin has served his purpose well but his successor needed to be powerful and peerless. He is tasked to protect the Kai too after he was nearly killed by his former disciple, Zamasu."

"Yeah I've heard about it." Pan cut in. "But what does choosing a new God of Destruction had to do with us? We're not even from the same Universe!"

"It's because I have chosen you and the other Saiyan hybrids as my champions." A ghost of a smile appeared on Cuber's features. "The Saiyan Gods are Lord Beerus' own choice as successors, making them unfit to be my champions. But you, the descendants of two powerful beings who can attain God form...the possibilities are endless. There are no such rules that stop me from borrowing your strength."

Pan glared at Cuber's image. "Champions, my ass. More like pawns. If my grandpa gets here, he'd kick your butt so hard you'd have a pretty bad time remembering why you abducted us in the first place."

I look forward in battling your grandfather but until then…." The screen changed to reveal a space pod which landed on what seemed to be a forest. For a moment, Pan thought Cuber is showing to her her exact location as viewed from the outside of wherever the heck she's in right now. The scene flickered and it revealed Bulla's slumbering face, a mask covering her nose. Pan's chest clenched in worry. "...until then, you have to do the right thing and protect your friends who cannot protect themselves."

"What did you do to her?"

"She is in another planet, dear Pan." Pan visibly blanched at the pet name. "Alone in Planet Vinah and practically helpless against the elements, do you have any idea of how long she'll last?"

"I feel sorry for you if anything happens to her. Do you know who her father is?" Pan said. "Surely You know him...the Prince of all Saiyans. And my grandpa happens to be the Ultimate Saiyan Warrior. Just to remind you."

To her annoyance, Cuber just cackled in response. "But they are not here right now, aren't they? Her only hope is a Saiyan Hybrid girl with a nasty temper."

"Hey-"

"Your trial begins now, Son Pan." Cuber's face loomed over her and she flinched back. "Remember, your friend's survival depends entirely up to you."

The transmission ended and Pan is left wondering whether she's inside a simulation chamber designed by Capsule Corp all this time. Only her uncle Goten and Trunks can come up with this something stupid.

A few seconds after the screen faded, the walls of the pod began to ease slowly, like a petal unfurling. Pan realized she's inside a bulbous glass all this time. Light enveloped her whole form, making her eyes squint.

Then she found herself standing alone in the middle of a desert, the sand glittering like crystals under the harsh glare of the sun. Upon closer look, she realized the sand is a carpet of pure crystal shards. It felt warm and prickly against her hand as she stooped down to study it.

The horizon stretched before her, empty and desolate. The sky, a dull hue of green and blue. Unlike the Earth's atmosphere, the sky is empty with clouds except with the phantom-like figure of two moons peeking in the horizon.

Pan slapped her cheeks together, closing her eyes to the scene before her. The thought of being in another planet, in another universe, alone and clueless at the danger around her, filled her with the unfamiliar sense of dread. I'm ready to go back now, she screamed inside her head. If this is a simulation, Goten and Trunks would hear. Then she would open her eyes and their smirks would greet her. Then she will proceed on systematically whooping their ass.

But when she opened her eyes, she's still in the stupid desert. Sweat trickled on her nape at the full realization that she's caught in a mad alien's game, she and Bulla. And the stakes are real.

"Bulla…" She took a deep breath, looking up the sky. "Please be okay."

/

At Planet Vinah, a space pod sats alone on the top of a hill.

Earlier that night, the planet's fauna-inhabitants saw a streak of wild light in the sky. Being timid creatures in general, having no violent tendency towards strangers from other Planets, they allowed the pod to land on top of the hill. Seeing that it is harmless as a rock, they allowed it to stay but maintained a cautious distance from the ship that sometimes give off weird green lights during the night.

The Conbots, another race of this planet, call these creatures Foragers. They live underground and come out at night to hoard water and harvest root crops. They walk in two limbs but they cannot be any taller than a forest shrub, their skin covered in thick, lush leaves. Their eyes are a pair of yellow orbs hidden in the shadows of their faces. Since the Foragers have been living in this planet for a half-century with its more advanced brethren, the leaders guessed the pod is probably one of those failed inventions that accidentally landed on their territory. Anytime soon, a steam roller would come to pick and bring it back to the City of the Flashing Lights.

But no steam roller or jet arrived. On the 3rd day, the door of the pod opened and green liquid gushed out, along with a frail body covered in blue goo. A forager who happened to venture to that hunting ground at that time of night looked up and saw that it was a body of a Little Human, with a short blue hair and a short, bristly tail, dark blue in color.

Before the forager can get close, a beam of light emerged from the pod, shooting towards the moonless sky. The forager bowed down in fright as he watched the light morphs into a strange, circular sphere, as big as the Day Light Orb itself.

The forager watched for the sphere to move but it didn't. It just sat in the sky, giving off a warm, eerie illumination across the fields.

Then suddenly, a shadow materializes across the field. The forager turned to see that the Strange Little Human had finally awakened, its shadow cast out on one side of the hill. The Human gazed around its surroundings before turning its attention towards the light. It didn't move for a few more seconds.

Then the Human's shadow begins to grow larger, into something more terrifying.

/

Goten woke up with the sound of his stomach rumbling. His biological alarm clock for dinner is as precise as his mother's innate lie detector sense and just like Chichi's instinct , he cannot deny it. He pulled himself from the warm, soft bed and yawned deeply, dazedly looking around the small, white-walled room.

Now wait just a damn minute...

Goten bolted from the bed, the memories all rushing back. He was supposed to be with his friends, fighting a red, alien-chick but for some reason, he collapsed miserably on the ground, clutching the sack containing the Dragon Ball.

He looked down in his clothes. His earth clothes are gone, replaced by a dull white Gi and a crimson sash wound tightly around his wait. He is bare-footed and the cold seeped on his soles that make his skin crawl. This room makes him queasy and Goten isn't the type of person who squirms because of small things.

Well, imagining someone removing your clothes and dressing you up while you're unconscious is not exactly a small thing.

As he leaned back against the mattress, he felt a bump on his bottom, something soft and warm. To his surprise, a brown tail unfurled itself from his back, scaring the daylights out of him.

"What...What….What is this?" He clutched at the tail and tried to yank it off but the movement only paralyzed him for a moment. He slumped back to the bed, still holding the stupid-looking tail that appears to have a mind of its own.

Didn't his mother cut off his tail when he was a baby? How come it grew back? What made it grow back?

He reminded himself that his grown back tail is the least of his worries right now.

"Where am I?" He looked around his room, or rather, cell. The whole room is painted in bright white, except the metallic door at the left corner. He clenched his fist and punched the wall behind him.

"Ouch!" Goten stared at the wall, shocked, while shaking the pain from his knuckles. Not even a dent of damage….Seriously, he was this weak?

He directed his palm towards the door and concentrated on summoning his Ki. Seconds passed by and not even a sliver of light appeared to heed his call.

What the heck is this place?

He swirled around when the the door clanged open and Rupa strode in, her face set in a cat-like grin. Goten kept his guard, eyes locked in Rupa with deadly intent. It's been awhile since he felt a rush molten anger over someone.

Rupa put her hands on her lips. She is wearing the same Gi as he is, much to his chagrin. Do they intend to turn him into one of them or something? "Did you miss your tail?"

HIs jaw clenched. "Where are my friends?"

"Are you seriously planning to fight me with your current strength?" She cocked her head at him. "It had been so easy for the Bug to deplete your energy on Earth. Are you sure you want to try again?"

"Try me!"

"There will be a plenty of time for that." Rupa clicked her tongue impatiently. "This section of the base is perfectly regulated to suppress energy coming from Ki-users, such as you and me. We can try fighting old-fashioned way but I imagine you must be hungry…"

Goten lunged at her with a snarl but she deflected his punch with her elbow. She sidestepped around him and threw a right hook on his jaw. Goten glared at him from the floor, then swiped his right leg to buckle down her knees. Caught off-guard, Rupa ungracefully landed on her bottom and Goten took it as a chance to scramble towards the door. Before he can stand up, however, his whole body grew rigid as Rupa clutched his tail in iron-fist grip, yanking him back to the floor.

"Hey, not fair! Let me go!" He shouted between gritted teeth.

"It's funny how a Saiyan's tail can be a source of both his strength and weakness." Rupa laughed a little and proceeded to drag Goten on the floor, curling the tail around her knuckles. "Since you decided to punch before listening first, I have no choice but to treat you this way for the rest of the day."

"Where are you taking me?" He felt blood rushing in his cheeks. He's 20 years old and she's literally mopping the floor using him. "I said, lemme go! I'm not a kid, you crazy freak!"

"You'll be more cooperative and receptive of what I say this way." Rupa gave him a sidelong glance. "To answer your questions, you are no longer on Earth. You are in Planet Spinel of the 10th Universe, the base of Lord Cuber's dominion and his home planet."

"Planet what?" Goten gaped at her. "B-But why did you bring us here? Did we do something bad with this guy?"

"No, he sent me to kidnap you and the rest of the Saiyan Hybrids for a Tournament. I very nearly succeeded on getting all of you if it wasn't for the intervention of the Namekian and his disciple. I have no choice but to leave your purple-haired friend and the blonde female."

That must be Trunks and Marron! Goten almost sighed with relief. But what about Pan and Bulla?!

"The two other girls with you…" Rupa continued, reading his thoughts. "They are not here anymore. We sent them to other planets to complete their training."

"Are you out of your minds?!" Goten couldn't help but to raise his voice in anger. "They are just kids! You're going to have them killed!"

"All part of the risk that comes along with training. If they are Saiyans, they will survive."

"Get those girls back and I'll do anything. Even if I have to compete in that stupid Tournament alone. Just..get them to safety, please."

Rupa sneered. "You fight alone? I had an impression that the black-haired girl is stronger than you when we were on Earth."

"I haven't shown you my real strength back then. I was just holding back because…"

"Because I'm female, is that it?"

They passed through the long passageway in silence. Goten decided to focus on memorizing any details that may help him escape but all the doors looked the same. The whole section feels like a huge maze and they keep on turning to one seemingly endless passageway after another.

"If something happens to either of them, I will kill you and Cuber both." Goten tried to look serious as he can for someone being treated like a human mop.

"As I said, all part of the risk." Rupa shrugged. "The Gods have been informed of this, including Lord Zeno. Lord Beerus as well, no doubt."

"You know, if you guys just ask in a proper way, we'd be more cooperative. Heck, Trunks and I have been dreaming of entering a Universal Tournament for years! You can even enlist the help of my dad. He loves fighting and he's the strongest guy in the Universe, well next to Lord Beerus."

"Unfortunately, the Saiyan Gods are not allowed to compete." Rupa said. "That's why we decided to get you. Surely, the potential in your lineage can exceed our expectations."

"What, so you think Saiyans are the most powerful race in the Universe?"

Rupa suddenly stopped behind a pair of steel doors. "No. If you were, you won't be here now, are you?"

"Then, why us?" Goten is losing his patience. His head hurts with all the information and he still hadn't eaten.

"It's a matter of pride, really. And a bit of sentimentality." Rupa dropped his tail, pushing towards the door with her shoulder. "Because like you, Lord Cuber is a part-Saiyan too."


	6. Chapter 6: Reckoning on the Gods

Characters don't belong to me :)

/

 **Chapter VI: Reckoning on the Gods**

Marron woke up from the deep slumber as though she slept for a hundred years. She really didn't know what to expect once she opens her eyes. As memories of the disaster that is her birthday rushed back, she shouldn't be surprised to see King Yenma's face peering down at her.

So when the first thing she saw is Uub's relieved face inches closer from her, she couldn't stop a surprised yelp from escaping her throat.

"Uub! What in the world!" She reeled back and hit her head in a column behind her. Rubbing her head gently, Marron realized that they are on an open area, her gaze settling to the familiar white tiles gleaming under the robin's egg sky. They are on the Lookout. "Wha-What happened? Argh...it feels like my body just came out of a tornado." Groaning, she rubbed her arms and legs, wincing at how the slightest pressure can cause throbbing pain. She wondered how the others fared compared to her. Surely not as bad. They are Saiyans, after all. "Uub, how are the others?"

Uub's smile instantly vanished. And seeing Uub, of all people, getting upset, Marron just knew everything's not fine. "They..were taken away by Rupa. Master Piccolo and I tried to stop her but it was too late."

Marron shot up from the ground, ignoring the blinding headache that came with it. "You mean. Goten and Trunks failed to beat that alien and put her on her place?"

"I'm afraid so. When she finally left Earth, she took Pan, Bulla and Goten with her."

"WHAAAT!"

Uub couldn't help but to put his hands on his ears. Marron towered over him, eyes fierce with agitation and he unconsciously leaned back. Now he knew what Goten feels like when he somehow found a way to irritate Marron, which he always does.

"Ah so you're awake. How are you, Marrron?" Korin's voice diverted her attention. The cat peered at them with sagely slanted eyes. "Now if you children are done with your bickering, we have a situation inside only you..." He gestured at Marron. "..can answer, seeing your friends are unavailable at this moment."

"What about Trunks? Where is he?" She turned back to Uub once again.

"As soon as Dende healed him, he shut himself in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber," replied Uub, looking down at the ground. "Master Piccolo tried to stop him but well, you know what happens when you try to stop a Saiyan. Nothing good comes out of it."

Dazedly, Marron was led inside the Temple. Thoughts raced inside her mind. Pan, Bulla...and Goten. Where are they? How are they going to find them? They could look for Rupa's ship but what will that accomplish? She couldn't help but to feel she's forgetting an important thing.

She snapped in attention as soon as she heard Piccolo's stern voice directed towards her. Korin led her and Uub to the Inner Chambers where the Dragon Statue is being kept on top of the pedestal. Dende and Mr. Popo are huddled around the Dragon Balls, their faces intense with concentration.

Piccolo spoke her name again, louder this time. Marron resisted the urge to shrink away and tried to focus on what's going on now.

"Marron, where is the One-Star Dragon Ball?" Piccolo's rough voice cut through the tense air.

The Dragon Ball. Crap.

 _That's what she has forgotten._

An image of Goten proudly holding the Dragon Ball this morning passed in her mind like a blur. She remembered voicing out her disapproval over the whole thing, but in the end, she allowed them to use the Dragon Ball for what they want.

"You didn't find it in the battlefield?" she asked, her voice very small.

"No. There are no trace of anyone or anything. Don't tell me.." Piccolo's eyes narrowed intensely and Marron quickly look away to avoid the glower. That look that can put anyone, including Pan, in her place.

No one said anything. Everyone has realized at once the urgency of the situation. One of the Earth Dragon Balls is no longer in Earth.

"Why-Why would Rupa be interested with the Dragon Ball?" Marron reasoned out loud. "She couldn't just take it with her. What will she do with it?"

"We don't know," Dende finally spoke, sighing. He looked famished and Marron wondered if his energy is being affected by a missing Dragon Ball. He is the Guardian after all. "All we know is that the Dragon Ball is not in the same Universe anymore. That's why the rest are turning into a stone. If this goes on, the Dragon's power will dissolve and I'm not entirely sure if we can make another set from scratch."

Uub stepped forward. "You mean…"

"The Dragon Balls are parts of a whole. They hold the Dragon's spirit. If one is lost in another dimension, in another Universe, the rest will also fade away. The rest will lose its power." Dende explained quietly. "This means Shenlong is dying." A pained expression crossed his calm face.

A silence so thick settled inside the room and Marron felt sick all of a sudden. She might have to ask Korin for a Senzu bean. A whole pouch, she reminded herself. She hadn't even spoken to the others yet. How on earth are they going to tell her folks, her friends' family, that their children were kidnapped by some pseudo-female alien monster?

And any chance of making a Wish to get them back, or even help them on getting _them_ back, is not an option anymore.

"What about Trunks? Surely he must know where it is. He couldn't let someone get a hold of it."

"That person you speak of has locked himself inside the Chamber like a child." Piccolo spat, frustration seeping into his voice. "He went inside before any of us can talk with him. Petulant. What good is training now? Pan, Goten and his sister are gone, stranded in a different Universe of who knows what."

"Maybe Lord Beerus and Lord Whis can help?" Marron offered gently, refusing to lose any sliver of hope. "They can travel to other Universe, right?"

Before Piccolo or Dende can answer her, they all heard a ruckus outside, followed by a shouts from familiar voices. Marron winced visible and even Uub froze in panic. Mr. Popo stared at Dende worriedly.

Piccolo grunted, baring his teeth. "I need to think." He explained before blasting through the roof of the Chamber.

"Gee, that's nice, Mr. Piccolo. Leaving us here like to explain the whole thing to them." Marron angrily shouted after him. "You're just like Trunks!"

"He's just upset." Uub tried to explain, staring up at the hole left by his master. "You see, Pan's under his watch when everything happened. When you think about it, only Master Piccolo and I are strong enough to stand a chance against Rupa. But…"

Marron crossed her arms against her chest. "We should break the bad news to them, huh?"

"Rock-paper-scissors?" Uub asked quickly.

Marron nodded, face grave. "There's no other way to go around it."

/

Gohan was attending a conference when he sensed the brief outburst of energy so powerful his body momentarily stiffened, the effect on him so palpable that his colleagues sent him worried looks. The energy had been strange, yet familiar at the same time. An image of his daughter at the center of bright, pulsating light passed briefly across his mind.

 _Pan?_

"Son-san, it is time to present your work." His assistant reminded him, surreptitiously handing him his suitcase. Any minute now, the presenter will call on Gohan to the stage.

Still recovering from what he sensed, Gohan carefully removed his eyeglasses and loosened the tie of his suit, his warm eyes suddenly narrowing in intensity. The assistant stepped back, noting something must be wrong.

"Chisel-san, I'm sorry but you have to take over this one for me."

His assistant blinked in shock. "But...They are your research…"

Gohan only smiled and briskly walked away. "I'll make up for this sometime. Good luck presenting!"

Gohan blazed through the doors of the auditorium, trying to communicate with Piccolo on his head. For some reason, he couldn't reach him. Then that means something must be really wrong. What he sensed earlier...powerful but desperate. He is sure of it. Pan must be in danger.

Ignoring the spectators waiting outside the building, he blasted off to the direction of where the energy came from, shedding his dark blue coat along the way. His mind racing on where his daughter can be. She is usually training with Uub on this hour. What could possibly set her off?

Uub and Piccolo's energy. They are gone as well. Gohan willed himself to fly faster.

Several seconds later, Gohan found himself in a clearing beside a peaceful lake and to a scene he isn't prepared for. A picnic table lay overturned against the side of the tree, broken into half. Plates and utensils are everywhere, as if a tornado came and went off just as quickly. Gohan's eyes soon landed on a ruined cake by the ground, its message "Happy Birthday, Marron!" facing towards the sky.

The others were here, then.

"Gohan!" He turned towards Krillin's voice from the sky. He and his wife, 18, landed behind him. No doubt they have sensed the energy from earlier too.

"Krillin.." He bit the side of his cheek, worried how they would react upon seeing this scene.

"What happened?" Brusque as ever, 18 looked around at the devastation around them. "Where are Marron and the others?"

Gohan hesitantly stepped away from the cake, fists clenching at his side. "They're gone...I can't sense them here. It's like they disappeared in the face of the earth."

Both Krillin and 18 just stared at Marron's birthday cake on the ground, unable to move.

"Ma-Marron…" Krillin frantically begins to search the area. "Marron! Are you here?! You're safe now. Mom and I are here!"

His wife, deathly calm, turned towards Gohan, her blue eyes a pair of sapphire glinting under the desert sun. "Where are they?"

"I wish I knew." Gohan answered, brows furrowed. "Goten and Trunks have been here too." He indicated at Goten's bike and Trunks' business coat lying not far from them. "Wherever they are, I'm sure the boys wouldn't let any harm come to Marron and the others." He tried to assure 18 with a smile but he couldn't bring himself to feel positive as his words have been. He still couldn't sense his daughter's energy anywhere in this planet.

"Gohan…" Piccolo's voice cut through his mind.

"Piccolo-san!" Relief surged on his chest upon hearing his former master's voice. Krillin and 18 stared at Gohan, their eyes wide and expectant.

"We're here at the Lookout. We were able to rescue Marron and Trunks but…"

"How about Pan and the others?"

The silence stretched between them and Gohan waited, holding his breath. He can almost feel the tension vibrating from Piccolo in his silence.

"It'll be better if you come here. Are you with the others now?"

"I'm with Krillin and 18." Gohan answered. "What's wrong, Piccolo-san? Why couldn't you tell me now?"

"Tell Krillin to gather everyone. We will explain once you got here."

"Is it so serious that I have to fetch my mother for this?" Upon hearing this, Krillin's eyes widened.

"Yes."

Gohan closed his eyes briefly and nodded. "Alright. We'll meet you at the Lookout." Piccolo's Ki faded just as quickly and he is left alone with his thoughts once more. He turned to the couple with a small smile. "Marron and Trunks are in the Lookout. Safe from the looks of it. Piccolo said we need to get there quickly."

If they felt any relief that their daughter is safe, both Krillin and 18 didn't show it. "I'll get Chichi." 18 quickly volunteered. "Krillin will go to Capsule Corp."

"What?" Her husband started to protest but sensing the urgency of the whole thing, he sighed and accepted the task. "I'm going to make a beeline to Kame House first to tell Master Roshi. I'm sure he sensed the energy from earlier. Who do you think it was?"

"It's Pan." Gohan told them matter-of-factly, looking around at the mess around them. "And now, I have to tell my wife that I can't sense her anywhere in this planet anymore."

/

Inside the Time Chamber, Trunks sat against the steps near the giant Sand Clock, staring down at his hands coated in dry blood and cuts. He gotta admit, getting inside the Chamber a few seconds after Dende healed him isn't one of his brightest ideas but honestly, he didn't had any idea of what to do as soon as he woke up. All he knew that time is that he failed in protecting his friends, his sister. And being the oldest in the group, he messed up big time.

And so, he decided to train.

He'd always hated losing. His closest friend knows how much he would demand a rematch when he lost in some game, or a spar, or in basic, meaningless bickering with Mai or Bulla. His mother often says how he took this trait after his father. But over the years, Vegeta's desire to win had grown rooted from pride over their race. He doesn't care who bested who, as long as the victor is a Saiyan or Trunks for that matter if he's faced up with Goten or Pan.

Not for Trunks. He takes losing personally. Anything he'd do would end up boring if he didn't take it seriously.

This loss, however, is something completely different. He lost despite trying his best, despite how a part of him enjoyed the challenge. He lost despite what's at stake.

Trunks' fingers curled into a fist. He spent the last few moments firing Ki blasts to no one in particular, a barrage of energy reflecting his frustration over the whole thing. After that, he went past his normal Super Saiyan form, but he only become angrier upon realizing he and Goten might have a chance if they've just took their training a little more seriously the past few months. He can almost imagine his father's disgusted sneer, the nasty 'I told you look'. Heck, he didn't know if he can survive to see that after the thrashing Vegeta will give him as soon as he emerged out of this Chamber.

The memory of his sister lying on the ground, unconscious, set his blood boiling once again. It was the key to his recent ascension and he's frustrated that it didn't happen sooner in their battle. Why now, when things are too late? Rupa won and she had taken his friends and his sister with her in gods know where.

And also the Dragon Ball and his Radar, Trunks reminded himself, groaning. All things considering, the Hyperbolic Time Chamber is the safest place for him right now. He almost wished Rupa should have succeeded taking him too so he wouldn't have to face everyone else.

Gritting his teeth, Trunks powered up a Ki sphere on his palm until it grew to the size of a human head. He flicked his wrist and fired upward, his energy transforming into a laser of light before exploding against the imaginary wall high up the ground. Trunks persisted, wondering if he can cut through the Chamber to the real world just like what he and Goten did when they were trapped inside right after Piccolo destroyed the door in their fight against the Evil Buu. If he's lucky, he can make a hole and escape without anyone in the Lookout noticing.

"Not bad, Saiyan Prince." A voice crooned behind him. Trunks swirled around, jaw dropping as his eyes landed on the hooded figure standing a few feet away from him.

"Wha-! How did you get here?!" He demanded. "Who are you?"

The entity just stood there, his golden eyes visible under the shadow of his hood. Trunks couldn't help but to feel that the air around him is crackling with some kind of dark energy, as if his very presence distorts the Chamber. The sand clock a few feet away from them begins to shake and crack, threatening to crumble down. Is he going to trap me here forever?

"Apologies, I haven't introduced myself properly." the figure said once again, his disembodied voice sending shivers up to his spine. "I am Veal, a Messenger between Dimensions. After much deliberation from the Lord-Captain's part, you are summoned to be part of Paruma's Space Fleet, a privilege extended only to the best warriors of the Universe. Prince Trunks." He raised one bony arm against his chest, the color of a burnt-black flesh, and offered a small, mocking bow.

Trunks slightly leaned his head, sneering. "I've never been called many things before but a Prince? That's new," His smile faded, raising his fists on the same level of his chest. "So am I being summoned? Or am I going to be abducted too?"

The creature called Veal slithered in front of him, catching him off guard. "I have seen your battle with her. No matter how many times you try, you will only lose with your current strength."

"Shut up," Trunks gritted his teeth and swung a left hook at him. Veal dodged and gripped his wrist in iron grip, his skeletal fingers as cold as ice against his flesh. "I don't want to be part of your game, whatever it is. I swear, if something happens to my friends, I'm going to destroy all of you."

"Your strength is but a tiny fraction of Lord Paruma's," Veal chuckled softly, tightening his hold on his wrist until he heard a distinctive crack subsequently followed by a sharp pain and numbness. Trunks winced, a muscle drumming on the side of his jaw. "We can find ways to change your mind. Right now, I'm offering you a chance to save your friends."

Trunks' piercing blue eyes looked unwavering at him, even when Veal completely twisted his wrist. He grunted. "How do I know you're telling the truth?"

"This planet's Dragon Ball is slowly rotting in another Universe. Your friends, your sister, trapped in a madman's plan of ascension into Godhood." Something in Veal's voice caught his interest. "My planet...my people...completely decimated by beings who are supposed to protect the balance of the Universe. Don't you see? We exist as pawns in their selfish games. Nothing more."

Veal loosened his hold on his fist and Trunks slowly withdrew it away, setting his broken wrist in one quick motion.

"What are you talking about? Who is this Lord Paruma anyway?"

"He is a former Angel in charge of the training for the future Gods at the 10th Universe." Trunks sensed the humorless smile in his voice. "Now, instead of serving them, he is seeking to destroy them all."

/


End file.
